Breakthru Wisconsin Grows Craft Beer Portfolio in 2017

Aug. 23, 2017

2017 has been a big craft beer year for Breakthru Beverage Wisconsin. Over the past few months, the market has brought on a total of five new breweries from around the globe, including Japan and New Zealand.

“Coedo and Garage Project are both exciting imports for us,” said Justin Cantoni, Breakthru WI’s Craft Beer Business Manager. “Both breweries have forged amazing relationships and collaborated with iconic American craft breweries with more on the horizon.”

Coedo

Japan’s Coedo Brewery was founded in 1996. In Japanese, Coedo means Little (co) Tokyo (edo) and is the nickname for Kawagoe, a city in Saitama Prefecture, located in the Greater Tokyo Area.

At the heart of Coedo is the founders’ passion for sustainable farming and ingredient sources. Coedo’s flagship, the Beniaka Premium Lager is brewed with baked sweet potato, giving it a beautiful caramel color and a slightly sweet flavor. Kawagoe has been famous for sweet potatoes for centuries and Beniaka is a reflection of that agricultural mainstay.

The Fermentorium

The brainchild of a locally raised homebrewer, The Fermentorium opened its doors in Southeastern, WI in early 2016. Owner Kris Volkman’s breadth of brewing styles is impressive, and the tap room serves an average of 24 different beers at one time. Previously draft only, The Fermentorium now cans many of their beers, including Golden Spiral hefeweizen, Covered Bridge golden ale and their top seller, Juice Packets IPA.

Garage Project

The Garage Project started off as a nano brewery in New Zealand by friends Pete Gillespie, Jos Ruffell and Ian Gillespie. Brewing on such a small scale had its hang-ups, but it also afforded the brewery the opportunity to take some bold risks with the beers they created. Years have passed since brewing that first tiny batch of beer, and the brewery has grown and swelled, but it still maintains its creative edge.

Montucky Cold Snacks

Montucky Cold Snacks was dreamt up in a Montana bar by founders Jeremy Gregory and Chad Zeitner. The two wanted to create a crisp and refreshing light beer that would center its core values on giving back to the community and embrace Montana’s outdoor lifestyle. That beer became Montucky Cold Snacks, a cold, light and refreshing beer brewed to quench a post-adventure thirst. The beer has also stayed true to its roots, as sales of MCS has already raised more than $38,000 for an assortment of non-profits.

Odd Side Ales

Odd Side Ales was born in an old piano factory in downtown Grand Haven, Michigan in 2010. The brewery has experienced tremendous growth since opening, and in 2015, expanded its production facility from 5,000 sq. ft. to 22,000 sq. ft. with an eye towards increasing production in the near future. Last year, Odd Side Ales was named one of the Top 100 Brewers in the World by RateBeer for the second year in a row.